Middle-Skills Workers on the Rise - Are You One of Them?

Have you ever heard of a middle-skills worker? The first time I heard this term, I thought it sounded like something right out of The Lord of the Rings.

Alas, middle-skills workers are not people who work in Middle-earth. So who are they?

If you are a student at one of the Florida Career College, this probably sounds familiar. The majority of the FCC campuses offer diploma and/or associate degree programs in career-specific fields. These schools are a part of the larger group of private sector colleges and universities (PSCUs) that play an important role in providing the career education that middle-skills workers need.

According to an article in the Link by Michael Klein titled Mid-skill Jobs: The Economic Engine That Works, “Of all associate’s degrees earned from 2008 to 2009, nearly one-fifth were earned at PSCUs. Of all postsecondary non-degree credentials earned (such as a diploma), 44 percent were earned at PSCUs.”

Now if you’re wondering if there is a demand for middle-skills workers in the United States, Klein says to look no further than the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). While middle-skills jobs are not the driving force of the economy, they do play a significant role and are currently making a comeback.

“An analysis of [BLS] data by the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C., shows that mid-skills jobs made up [45%] of all job openings in the U.S,” he writes. “Looking ahead to 2025, labor economists project an additional 20 million postsecondary-educated workers will be needed in the U.S. workforce, including 5 million middle-skills workers.”

At Florida Career Colleges, we are proud that our students are taking the step to further their education and develop valuable career skills that can help fill employment needs in their local markets across the country.

As Klein puts it, “As our nation continues our long and slow recovery, it is clear mid-skill jobs will play a major role. The institutions that help create the pathways to success for these workers are entrusted with an enormous contribution that reaches well beyond their campuses, their students and their graduates. They will be helping the nation, and the world, move toward a brighter, more prosperous, and better educated future.”